Who are the Wurundjeri people?
The Wurundjeri are the Aboriginal people of much of the Melbourne area, including the Yarra River valley. They belong to the Woi-wurrung language group of the Kulin Nation.
Wurundjeri country stretches along the Birrarung, the Yarra River, from the city to the Great Dividing Range. They share connections with other Kulin peoples, including the Boon Wurrung, Wathaurong, Taungurung and Dja Dja Wurrung.
In 1835, John Batman signed a so-called treaty with Wurundjeri elders to obtain land. The colonial government later declared it invalid.
Leaders and culture
William Barak, a Wurundjeri leader, artist and advocate in the 1800s, campaigned for Aboriginal rights at Coranderrk Station. His portrait appears on a building in central Melbourne.
Wurundjeri elders give Welcomes to Country at Melbourne events, including the AFL Grand Final and the opening of Parliament. Many sites around the city, such as Birrarung Marr park, now carry Woi-wurrung names.
Bunjil, the wedge-tailed eagle, is the creator being for the Kulin peoples, and Waang, the crow, is another important ancestor. Coranderrk, near Healesville, was a successful Aboriginal farming community in the 1800s, and its history is a key part of Wurundjeri identity.
Did You Know?
The Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation represents the community today.